Twitter vs Instagram: Differences, And Which Is Better

In the wide web of social media sites, two popular contenders often stand out from the competition:TwitterandInstagram. Both platforms serve as unique outlets for people to express themselves and connect with others. However, they differ tremendously in their core functionalities and user experiences. Let s delve into these unique factors that set Twitter vs Instagram apart. Here, we ll explore their similarities and differences to help you better navigate these two dynamic social media giants. Then, we ll tell you which we think is more worth your time.

Twitter vs Instagram: Side By Side Comparison

	Twitter	Instagram
Founded	March 21st, 2006	October 6th, 2010
Founder(s)	Jack Dorsey Noah Glass Biz Stone Evan Williams	Kevin Systrom Mike Krieger
Owner	X Corp.	Meta Platforms, Inc.
Acquired	October 27th, 2022	April 9th, 2012
iOS App Size	217 MB	266 MB
Default Post Format	Text	Photos and videos
Other Content Supported	Images Videos Audio Live streams Polls Links	Reels Stories
Most Followed User	Elon Musk (137 million)	Cristiano Ronaldo (530 million)
Monthly Active Users	450 million (2023 est.)	1.35 billion (2023 est.)

Twitter vs Instagram: What s the Difference?

Though Twitter and Instagram are both incredibly popular social media platforms with hundreds of millions of active users apiece, the two nevertheless have their differences. Broadly speaking, Twitter revolves around concise and real-time updates, allowing users to share thoughts, and news, and engage in public conversations. Conversely, Instagram leans more toward visual storytelling, allowing users to share photos and videos while offering a more curated and visually appealing environment. What else sets Twitter vs Instagram apart, though? Let s break it all down below.

Ownership

Firstly, there s a big difference in ownership between Twitter vs Instagram. For 16 years, Twitter was the brainchild of Jack Dorsey (the man behind Square, Bluesky, and other significant tech products and services). As of October 2022, however, Twitter has fallen under the ownership of Elon Musk s X Corp. Comparatively, Instagram is owned and operated by Meta Platforms the same company behindFacebookand WhatsApp. Meta has owned Instagram since 2012 and relies on the platform as a key part of its business model.

Preferred Content Type

Secondly, Twitter and Instagram are optimized for two completely different content types. Twitter is primarily intended for tweets: microblog-style posts with a limited number of characters with a set number of photos, videos, GIFs, or polls attached to the post. Instagram, on the other hand, is used for posting photos and videos with text captions. You cannot simply post text on Instagram there must always be a photo or video or other visual element (such as a colored background) attached to the text first.

Feed Layout

Likewise, Twitter and Instagram have very different feed layouts to match their different types of preferred content. Twitter s feed either on mobile or on desktop puts the focus on text. To view photos and videos, you typically have to click them to open them in a carousel view (not unlike how you would on Facebook). Instagram, by comparison, puts the focus on the visuals. Most captions have to be clicked to view in full, with most of the attention instead put on photo and video carousels. This is true on both mobile and desktop versions of the platform.

Active Users

When comparing Twitter vs Instagram, it also helps to look at the number of active users on each site. This gives us a great glimpse at how the general public feels about each platform. It s safe to assume the site with more users is the site with the preferred user experience, right? With this in mind, Twitter was estimated to have around 450 million monthly active users at the start of 2023. Compare this to Instagram, which was estimated to have around 1.35 billion active users at the start of 2023. All in all, Instagram has nearly three times as many active users as Twitter.

Supported Media

Lastly, let s talk about the types of supported media for both Twitter and Instagram. Twitter supports up to four photos per post, and each photo must be less than 5 MB. The site allows for you to upload GIF, JPEG, and PNG files. Up to four videos can also be attached per tweet, with maximum file sizes capped at 512 MB per video. Instagram supports videos as large as 3.6 GB, but they must be under an hour in length. Photo file sizes are capped at 30 MB each, and users can upload as many as 10 in a single post. Also, multiple photos must all use the same aspect ratio.

Twitter vs Instagram: 5 Must-Know Facts

• In the past, both Twitter and Instagram have relied on a strict verification process to confirm the authenticity of prominent accounts (such as public figures, organizations, and notable personalities). However, in recent months, both Twitter and Instagram have allowed users to subscribe to the site to receive instant verification via a blue checkmark badge.
• Twitter posts are limited to 280 characters per tweet. This is actually double what the limit used to be, which was originally 140 characters. (Images, GIFs, and videos don t count toward the character limit).
• Twitter and Instagram both offer direct messaging features (also known as DMs). Users can share tweets or Instagram posts with one another through their DMs and even create private direct-messaging groups comprised of multiple users.
• Instagram Stories are a large part of Instagram s business model. These Stories are temporary posts that last for 24 hours. Users can share photos, videos, and interactive elements such as polls, questions, and quizzes to their Stories, then save them to a Highlights tab on their profile.
• Both Twitter and Instagram curate posts in a special For You tab. This tab draws from users activity, follows, and likes to assemble together a series of posts the algorithm believes the user will enjoy. This helps users expand their feeds beyond their immediate circle of follows and followers.

The History of Twitter

Though it only has a third of the number of users as Instagram, Twitter is nonetheless a popular social media platform in its own right. Square founder Jack Dorsey and his fellow Silicon Valley thinkers got the idea for Twitter when discussing the lack of a platform to share thoughts, ideas, and updates in real time. So, they decided to make the platform themselves. Launched to the public in 2006, Twitter revolves around short and concise text-based posts called tweets. Despite its innovative concept, it was only used by a small group of tech enthusiasts and early adopters in the early days.

Twitter gained momentum and attracted more users throughout the remainder of the 2000s. An increasing number of users flocked (no pun intended) to the platform when realizing how quickly information could be shared and discussed on the site. Perhaps its biggest and most significant move in these early years? The introduction of hashtags in 2007. Allowing users to categorize and search for specific topics or trends, hashtags have since become a fundamental part of not only Twitter but also various other social media platforms.

Another key feature of the platform? Retweets, which enable users to share someone else s tweet with their own followers. This feature helps better amplify content and promote information across the platform. Today, Twitter stands as a go-to platform for real-time news updates, celebrity interactions, and discussions on various topics. Even thoughElon Musks recent acquisition of the platform has some users worried about the site s future, it remains a widely used social media platform with millions of active users a day.

How Instagram Compares

Instagram is a popular photo- and video-based social media platform. Unlike other text-based social sites, there s no support for text-based posts without a photo or video attached. Instagram was first launched by Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger in October 2010. The app originated as a Foursquare-esque app for people to post about their favorite popular locations. However, Systrom and Krieger eventually redeveloped the app into Instagram when they realized that the photo-sharing feature was far more popular than any other on their platform.

At the outset, the app was an iPhone exclusive. In time, however, the app gained a ton of popularity and expanded to Android and other markets. Users appreciated how quick and easy it was to share photos on the app. Plus, the app s filters allowed users to aesthetically enhance their photos with different color effects. (Scroll back too far on anyone s Instagram page and you ll be reminded just how popular these filters were.) Instagram s features and services only grew more popular with Facebook s acquisition of the platform in 2012.

With Facebook s support, Instagram introduced a ton of new features and improvements, making it even more innovative and user-friendly than it already was. One of the most important of these? The addition of video sharing in 2013. This feature remains an integral part of Instagram s platform today. The same can be said for Instagram Stories, first introduced in 2016. Stories allow users to share photos and videos that disappear after 24 hours, not unlike Snapchat. Today, Instagram remains one of the most popular and widely used social media platforms worldwide.

Twitter vs Instagram: Pros and Cons

Pros of Twitter	Cons of Twitter
Great source of real-time information and news	Recent Elon Musk ownership raises eyebrows
Massive global reach of millions of users	Misinformation spreads incredibly quickly
Quick, concise posts, replies, and retweets	Site is notorious for prevalent harassment
Supports live streams, videos, photos, and gifs	Character limit set at 280 for free users

Pros of Instagram	Cons of Instagram
Ideal for photo and video sharing	No support for text-only posts
Instagram Stories support short-term posts	Blamed for perpetuating unrealistic standards
Innovative feed curation algorithms	Can t post links in captions or comments
More users than Twitter	Meta frequently makes frustrating changes

Twitter vs Instagram: Which Is Better?

So: which social media platform is better between Twitter vs Instagram? On the surface, this debate might look like apples and oranges. With one platform revolving around text and the other revolving around images, how can a true winner even be named? Let s think back on what we ve discussed so far. Instagram has more users than Twitter. It s owned and operated by Meta, while Twitter is owned by Elon Musk s X Corp. These two factors alone make it a far more stable platform than Twitter. For its stability alone, we feel it deserves to be named the winner.